In February 19, 1985, the Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific and the smaller MN&S Railroads were both merged into the Soo Line Railroad effective January 1, 1986. To cut costs, the Soo Line created the Lake States Transportation Division (LSTD) on February 10, 1986 to operate the less-important lines, including the ex-Wisconsin Central line between Chicago and the Twin Cities.

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N&W FEATURES:

Ex ITC

Gong style bell

Non-dynamic

MU hose catch trays on front & rear

Engineer side all-weather-window

Firecracker antenna

Leslie 3-chime horn

Each number features different patches and logos per the prototypes

On September 1, 1981, the Norfolk and Western Railway purchased the Illinois Terminal Railroad. The former ITC SD39s received “NW” patches on the units to denote their new owner. The bright green and yellow colors provided a splash of variety on the N&W roster. The green paint faded quickly- resulting in a very washed-out appearance for the SD39s.

SP FEATURES:

Faded paint and lettering to match units as they appeared in service

P-3 horn

Roof mounted bell

4000 gallon fuel tank w/ dual fuel fillers

Early style ballast blocks on walkway in front of cab

Large SP style armrests

Late cut levers with loops

Whip antenna

#5300:

Stratolite beacon on cab; effect with DCC/sound version

Rebuilt “L” window cab

Blanked front & rear gyralights

3-hose MU clusters

Chickenwire grills

Early inertial air intake

Total of 3 cab vents

#5309 & #5315:

Front & rear clear gyralights; effect with DCC/sound version.

Red gyralights are non operational

4-hose MU clusters

FARR grills

Total of 4 cab vents

Conductor side SP toolbox and 3 short stanchion handrails

As delivered “L” window cab

Late inertial air intake

The 26 SD39s owned by Southern Pacific spent a significant amount of time working the steep grades of Tehachapi. In later years, the venerable locomotives were regulated to hauler service in the LA basin area. As time went by, the Southern Pacific lettering tended to decay and the paint colors faded under the California sun.

SP AS DELIVERED FEATURES:

Late fans

Extended range dynamic brakes

P-3 horn

Roof mounted bell

Whip antenna

Chickenwire grills

L window cab

Total of 4 cab vents

4-hose MU clusters

4000 gallon fuel tank with dual fuel fillers

Early style ballast blocks on walkway in front of cab

Front & rear clear gyralights; effect with DCC/sound version

Red gyralights are non operational

These particular units lasted well into the 1970s before receiving the large “SP” initials on the nose.

BNSF FEATURES:

Hinged battery box doors

Rear hand brake

Illuminated ditch lights

Spare knuckles on rear pilot

Large Sinclair antenna on ground plane

Nathan 3-chime horn mounted on long hood per prototype

Cab air conditioner painted per prototype

Rear slug control box installed

Modeler-installed front slug control box included in poly bag (not installed due to interference with ditch lights)

Late cut levers with loops

Etched mirror on fireman’s side

All-weather window on engineer’s side

#1914:

Electronic bell

RCL warning labels

Cab mounted Xenon strobe; effect with DCC/sound version

Patches on cab and long hood per prototype

BNSF EX ATSF FEATURES:

Hinged battery box doors

Rear hand brake

Illuminated ditch lights

Spare knuckles on rear pilot

Large & small Sinclair antennas on ground planes

Faded paint to match prototype photos

Horn placement and orientation per prototype photos

Other details same as BNSF Heritage 1 units

BNSF continued to use its reliable SD39s in yard and transfer service just as Santa Fe had. The 2300-HP locomotives lasted well into the 2000s before they were sold off to locomotive dealers. Initially, the SD39s were renumbered into the 6200 series, and they would be subsequently renumbered into the 1900 series in the 2000s.

Several of the SD39s were painted into the Heritage I scheme, reminiscent of the colors used by the Great Northern.

One particular unit, BNSF 1914 (formerly the 6204), even received an unofficial “Rocky the Goat” herald on its nose, after the unit had been patched with “GN” on its flanks in anticipation of its upcoming retirement. However, the veteran EMD operated in this guise for several years, providing Great Northern fans with an opportunity to see what a GN SD39 might have looked like.

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

Fully assembled and ready-to-run

Separately applied wire grab irons

Separately applied air tanks

Coupler cut levers

Rubber MU hoses

Photo-etch stainless steel windshield wipers

Fine scale handrails molded in engineering plastic

Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug

See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans

Curved radiator fan grab iron

Exhaust stack

Frame mounted bell (unless noted)

Detailed 4000 gallon fuel tank (unless different capacity is noted)

Flexicoil-C trucks with high or low brake cylinders (per prototype)

McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers

Highly-detailed, injection molded body featuring new tooling

Painted and printed for realistic decoration

See through cab windows

Bi-directional LED lighting

All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation

All-wheel electrical pickup

5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation

Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights

Many functions can be altered via CV changes

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

Duplicated look and feel of “In Service”equipment; “Tattered and Torn” just like the real thing

Faded base colors matched to the prototype

Patches applied and shaped per road number matching each corresponding side to the prototype

Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

PROTOTYPE INFO:

In 1966, EMD updated its locomotive catalog with entirely new models, all powered by the new 645 diesel engine. The SD39 had 2,300 hp from a turbocharged V12. The SD39 had the smallest prime mover of the SD locomotives in the EMD catalog. 54 were built for American railroads.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “EMD SD39”; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.